The field of this invention relates to medical products, and more particularly to a disposable container assembly which provides a cooling environment to a severed extremity to facilitate transporting of the extremity to a hospital for the purpose of replantation.
Amputations of extremities of human beings are a common form of medical emergencies. People that work with machines, such as farm workers, industrial workers and mechanics, are constantly susceptible to the possibility of an amputation. Also, amputations do occur within automobile and motorcycle accidents as well as home accidents caused by lawn mowers or saws. Common types of amputations are fingers, hands, forearms, ears, feet, legs, nose and even possibly the penis.
In recent years, the medical profession has discovered that it is possible to replant the amputated part. Time is the enemy for accomplishing satisfactory replantation. It has been found that in order for the amputated part to re-achieve maximum function, it must be replanted within a three hour period if the part is maintained at normal room temperature. If the part is located in a cooling environment, the time period can be extended to six hours. However, even some function can be obtained in replanting of an uncooled part up to six to eight hours, and a cooled part up to twenty-four hours.
Paramedics and other emergency medical personnel encounter amputated extremities while in the field. These medical personnel have been counseled to clean the amputated part with a saline solution and wrap such in a sterile towel again moistened with the saline solution. The amputed part is then enclosed within a plastic bag which is to be placed in a cold environment such as ice or ice water. However, the ice water is not to come into direct contact with the amputated part.
At the present time, medical emergency personnel are required to carry transport portable ice chests which are constantly maintained in ready state to be instantaneously available during an emergency call. Up until the present invention, there has not been any known structure which has been designed specifically for the purpose of locating of an amputated extremity within a decreased temperature environment to facilitate transfer of such to a hospital or other similar location for replantation.